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Tunable superprism effect in photonic crystals
Author(s) -
Glöckler F.,
Peters S.,
Lemmer U.,
Gerken M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.200776408
Subject(s) - photonic crystal , materials science , optoelectronics , beam steering , millimeter , photonics , optics , optical switch , band gap , beam (structure) , physics
We present a review of the field of tunable superprism structures. Such structures enable an active tuning of the group propagation angle by combining the large angular dispersion near the bandgap of a photonic crystal with a tuning of the optical material properties. The tuning is significantly enhanced compared to the change of the group propagation angle in a bulk material allowing for compact devices on the sub‐millimeter scale. Tunable superprism structures can be employed for many key components of optical circuitry and optical communications. Controlled deflection or refraction of light as well as spatial beam switching are only some possible tasks such devices could accomplish. We give a survey of geometries, switching mechanisms, and materials that have been investigated theoretically or experimentally for tunable photonic bandgap (PBG) structures and tunable superprism structures. A detailed theoretical investigation is presented for all‐optical switching in a one‐dimensional tunable superprism structure employing an optically non‐linear organic material. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)